Banana Chocolate Chunk Muffins

The King Arthur's All Purpose Baking Cookbook is rightfully called the Baker's Companion. Back in the day we used The Joy Of Cooking or an old edition of the Betty Crocker Cookbook for just about every thing we baked unless we happened to have a hand written recipe on a 3x5 card from a family member or friend. Some of those recipes weren't so good but hey, it's what we had before the explosion of cookbooks, the internet and food blogs. Over the years I have found many excellent recipes in all of my King Arthur's Flour cookbooks so I just wanted to give a little shout out to them for being such good company in the kitchen.

Today was my grandson Noah second day of Kindergarten and being that it was a minimum day with no day care I helped my daughter out by taking him and picking him up. And I have to say if that is not walking down memory lane I don't know what is! Of course many things have changed, for example the kids all bring water bottles to school because they are not allowed to bring juice boxes as it is a juice-free zone, I did not make that up! They teach reading in Kindergarten and they give homework! Noah said after the first day that Kindergarten is not about playing, it's about learning. I feel it's my duty being old school and all, to provide a sugary chocolatey after school snack, go grandma, you rock;-) I did use half whole wheat flour in the muffins and a couple of bananas, so I would like a little credit for that!

I also used Scharffen Berger bittersweet chunks which should be used at some point by every chocolate chip loving person because they are over the top yummy and gooey in these muffins and I'm sure in cookies or what ever else you bake with them. I also babysat the sweet little Gracie J so I wanted to include a small picture of her because she is even sweeter than my after school banana chocolate chunk muffin snack!




Ingredients and Directions for Banana Chocolate Chunk Muffins
Adapted from King Arthur's Flour, All Purpose Baking Cookbook
Makes 12 muffins

Preheat the oven to 350°F

1 stick unsalted butter
1 cup sugar
1 large egg
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon baking spice, I used Penzeys
2 medium ripe bananas, mashed, about 3/4 cup
1/3 cup vanilla low fat yogurt
1 cup whole wheat pastry flour
1 cup all purpose flour
1 & 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup bittersweet baking chunks or chocolate chips

Place butter and sugar in the bowl of a standing mixer and cream together until they're smooth. Scrape down the bowl and add the egg, spices, banana and yogurt. In a medium bowl stir together the flour, baking powder and baking soda. Gently stir the dry ingredients into the banana mixture. Stir in the chocolate chunks and spoon the batter into 12 greased muffin cups. Bake for 20 minutes, remove from the oven and cool.